By Thamyris Barbosa
Watching the news hasn’t been easy lately. The year has hardly begun and Brazil has already accumulated a series of tragedies of all kinds. Whether it is business and government negligence or even fatalities. Hard times. And since there is no way we can’t be shaken in the face of these events, we must learn how to deal with them not only in real life, but in social media as well.
Of course, if your business is directly linked to these disasters, this text won’t be of much help. For institutions that are on the inside, ideal is to adopt a crisis management agenda.
But even for those who are following the dramatic events of the beginning of the year from outside, it is important to be in tune with the moment and avoid slipping up. In times of collective commotion, any misstep can leave your company in the spotlight. And in order not to put it at the center of criticism, it is important to be cautious in any action. So here are some social networking etiquette tips.
Tragedy is not an opportunity
Being opportunistic, in that case, can be a big shot in the foot. It may seem that the floods in Rio de Janeiro are a great opportunity to advertise your new line of inflatable boats on social media, but it is not so. In that case, taking advantage of tragedies can show coldness and even a certain rudeness. People do not forgive and your company will certainly pay the price of this misconception on social media. Click here and see a case about it.
Less is more
Even if there is reason to celebrate the launch of a product the company has been preparing for months, in times like these it is important not to make great celebrations on social media. It is not good to overflow joy while so many people go through a moment of mourning. So the ideal is to wait a few days and wait for the dust to seetle.
“May your left hand not know what the right hand does”
In situations of major catastrophes, such as the case of the Brumadinho dam rupture, there may be a need for donations of food, hygiene products or even money. If your company wants to contribute, it will be great. But do not want to make big publicity out of it. This can have a reverse effect and damage your company’s image on social media. If you’re going to mobilize donations, fine. But if you simply want to show people that your company is supportive, do not do it.
